Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Start Your Career Plan Now!

Career planning can have a dramatic effect on your earnings and wealth.  You need a career plan - even if you are an entering freshman - you need a plan.  You might want to make sure you understand the resources available to you at UMASS Dartmouth, many of which are through the Career Development Center.  Feel free to contact Dr. Gail Berman (gberman@umassd.edu) to learn more on how to get the most out of our Career Development Center. You may also want to start following my internship blog as internships have become so important to career planning. 

Even if you are an entering freshman, get a resume done and have it reviewed by the folks at the UMD Career Development Center.

I also suggest that you visit our (CCB) internship web page to become familiar with the workings of our internship program - particularly if you are seeking a credit one for the next semester or a summer one. We also have a university internship director - Ms. Jane Staples (jstaples@umassd.edu) - who is very willing to assist you in looking for an internship.  Have you ever used the UMD Careerlink?  You might want to log onto that and poke around and what about external resources such as Indeed.com.  I have had great luck tracking down interesting opportunities for interns and entry-level job hunters.
Finally, learn how to network.  You have to make contacts.  If you don't have a LinkedIn account, register for one but don't stop there.  You need to develop contacts by face-to-face.  I just read a good book on networking that you might find the time to read (someday - not right now!).  It's:  Never Eat Alone, and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi   and Tahl Raz.  I highly recommend it.  My point is that you have to find ways to meet people who can help open doors for you - doors that will lead you down some lucrative career paths.